Dividing Loyalty
by Furi Iki
Summary: Botan Hasaki, hardworking NY cop, falls for Shuichi Minamino, aka Kurama Ikozo, the ruthless leader of the Kitsune Klan, entangling herself in a lustful and dangerous relationship. Will she risk her reputation AND her promising future to be with him?
1. Dewy The Screw

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Yu Hakusho. Cuz if I did, Kurama would be my sex slave... and he'd love it!! Enjoy! **;D**

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It was a nervous, active Friday afternoon at the Downtown N.Y.P.D station. Everyone bustled about, hurriedly gathering and dishing information on the latest crimes, suspects and offenses. They were all busy, being as the following day would be a popular holiday, bringing a wide possibility of crimes and riots. So, the local police scuttled about almost worriedly, attempting to conclude certain cases and make room for new. Oh, and there _would _be new.

Tomorrow was the first of January. In the city of New York, it was one of the most proper holiday to show your patriotism. And to many Americans alike, the best way to set the mood for patriotism would be to get drunk, which often resulted in an overflow of suspects thrown into jail. And _that_ brought all sorts of kooks to the station; prostitutes, bar rioters, outlandish homosexuals, drunken hobos: you name it, they were always there. Count on it.

The law enforcement of New York **did** count on it. And they were never let down. So, there they were: getting ready.

---------------------

At an oversized desk in the middle of a large, scarcely decorated office sat a lean, handsome young man. He shuffled through a large amount of papers on the surface of his desk, a disgruntled frown covering his face. His intense chocolate eyes were darting to and fro, his eyebrows locked in a furrow. He sucked at his bottom lip fiercely, a habit formed from years of stress. He was dressed in a light gray three-piece suit, his lavender dress shirt matching attractively with his striped tie. His eyebrows lifted relievedly as he found what he was looking for.

"Ah!" he exclaimed triumphantly as he leaned back in his chair and began to flip deftly through the pages of a wide manila folder. He came to a certain page and began to read, bringing a finger to his chin thoughtfully. Soon, his brows reset in its furrow as he began to suckle on his lip again. He closed the folder and tossed it onto his desk then began to peer around his room in deliberation. He reached out and pressed the button on a small speaker device on his desk. After it beeped, he leaned over so that his face was over it.

"Ayame?" he said. He released the button, awaiting his response. Almost immediately after, another beep sounded and a small feminine voice was heard on the other end.

"Yes, Chief Daioh, sir?" she said.

"Send in Miss Hasaki for me, will you, Ayame?" he said.

"Yes, sir. I'll get Keiko to do it. She'll be there shortly," said Ayame.

"Thank you," he said. He released the button and sat back, waiting for one of his best detectives to come bursting into his office. He was not disappointed.

Moments later, a young agitated bluenette came crashing through his doors. A tight frown marred her face as her eyes narrowed dangerously at the man. He smirked at her defiance. Her hair was in a high bun, but the loose strands in the back of her head bounced brusquely as she marched angrily up to his desk. She wore a white dress shirt, a khaki colored vest, and black form fitting slacks complete with a black tie. Her open toed high-heels clacked against the hard wood floor loudly, reflecting her displeasure.

She stopped at the front of his desk and folded her arms across her chest.

"What the hell do you want, Koenma?!" she snapped. Koenma smiled and rocked back in his chair.

"It's nice to see you, too, Botan. I'm doing fine, and you?" he quipped teasingly. Botan rolled her eyes and sighed edgily.

"Cut the cutesy shit and get to it. What am I doing in your office? I was just on my way out, for cryin' out loud!" she shouted angrily.

Koenma only smiled wider at her outburst. He was entirely familiar with her behavior. She could be quite the moody one.

He looked down at the folder on his desk and his smile slowly slid from his face. He leaned forward and placed his fingertips on top of it. He sighed as he slid it towards her. Botan looked at the folder, then back to him. She eyed him suspiciously before she slapped her hand on top of it and slid it off the desk. She sighed as she opened it and began to flip through the pages as he had done moments ago.

"They call him Dewy 'The Screw'. He's been at large for quite some time now, robbing people then killing them, assaulting citizens, and selling drugs to the local kids," Koenma said. Botan shrugged.

"So? What do you want me to do? He sounds like a mediocre buster to me. Have Meshi see to it," she said. Koenma folded his hands on his desk and narrowed his eyes on the woman before him.

"Turn to page twenty-three," he demanded quietly. Botan glanced up at him before she looked back at the folder and started to piece through the pages. She stopped, having found her destination. She squinted her eyes for a better view of the small words, her mouth moving silently as she read the information. She snorted and looked up at the Chief.

"Wow. He's a jerk. But what is it in here that you couldn't send Meshi for?" she asked curiously. Koenma only nodded towards the folder, as he was sucking on his bottom lip again.

Botan opened her mouth in a silent question, but followed his unspoken order. She turned her eyes to the papers once more and read the bottom of the page slowly, being sure to take in every last detail.

"Woah... he's a lunatic. Twenty-one rape victims... eleven child molestation cases... he killed his landlord... and his landlord's dog. Not to mention the number of robberies he's committed...." she said scrutinizing the report carefully. She licked her lips distractedly as her eyes gained a sudden fierceness. She finished reading the page and looked up at Koenma, a wry grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Where can I find this guy?" she said. Koenma leaned forward, folding his hands on his desk.

"He was last reported seen in a SUV, no doubt stolen, near Central Park. Posted, I guess. Probably scanning for victims. That was two hours ago. My guess? He's not smart enough to leave town yet. I want you to inspect the vicinity, ask questions if need be. Take Uremeshi, too," he added quickly. Botan frowned.

"What?! No! Meshi's just gonna' slow me down!" she protested. Koenma shifted in his seat.

"I've got the distinct feeling that you're going to run into this man today. I don't want you to be alone when you do. You can't sleep on this guy, Hasaki. You read his file. He's extremely dangerous. I want you to have back up on this one... even if you might not need it. Just as a precaution..." he said quietly. Botan growled, irritated with his request.

"What, you don't trust me all of a sudden? You think I can't handle him or something? You know as well as I do I've taken down the worst of them. Many of them worse than this guy," she complained. Koenma rose from his chair, straightening his suit jacket once completely standing.

"Yes, that is a well known fact around here..." he said.

He sighed, running a hand through his short, coffee colored hair. He pushed through his chair and his desk and made his way over to Botan.

"... and you know I worry about you sometimes. That hot head of yours is gonna' land you into some harsh trouble one of these days. I just want... I just want to make sure you're safe. I **know **you're a big girl and you can take care of yourself. And I **know **you don't want pity from anybody, no matter who it is. But I want _you_ to know that it's not pity, nor is it doubt that drives me to protect you," he said. Botan folded her hands behind her back and ran her tongue over her top row of teeth skeptically.

"Then what is it?" she asked him. Koenma gave her a side smile and reached out to playfully punch her shoulder.

"I guess I care about your welfare. And the fact that you're damn near irreplaceable," he joked. Botan smiled and looked down at the wooded floor as a light rosy tint sprayed her cheeks. She wasn't used to him being so mushy. She looked up at him and her smile slowly slipped and she sighed disapprovingly. She slowly raised a hand and for a moment, Koenma's cheeks hinted blush but it quickly faded when her thumb reached out to stroke his bottom lip gently. Botan looked back up to his eyes and smirked.

"You gotta' stop doin' that. You keep giving yourself a swollen lip!" she scorned.

Koenma slid his tongue along his lip. Sure enough, he could taste the raw beginnings of a fresh bruise. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile.

"Heh... yeah. It's a habit. Probably from all of the anxiety you cause me," he chuckled.

"Well," Botan said, "I'd better get going if I'm going to catch any leads on this guy."

She gave Koenma a flirty wink and turned on her heels. She reached the door and stopped as Koenma called out to her.

"Don't forget to pick up Yusuke," he called. She growled and spun back around.

"Damnet, Daioh! He'd better not get in my way!" she exclaimed at him before she swung the door open and marched out, slamming it closed behind her. Koenma sighed.

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"So where are we going first?" asked a young man. He sat in the passenger seat of Botan's car, leaning on the door and looking out the window. Botan glanced over at him.

He was very attractive with his observant, dark eyes. His hair was short and gelled back, two loose strands dangling in front of his face. He was fitted in a T-shirt and blue jeans, a black suit jacket covering his muscled form. Although he was one year older than Botan, he was still a young rookie and his exuberant, cocky veneer sometimes caused her to loose their target. He originated from Japan like she, only he didn't speak a lick of the language. Sighing, Botan looked back out the window again.

"Central Park," she said. He scoffed, turning to look at her.

"For what? Takin' a break for hot dogs?" he sneered. Botan gritted her teeth as a familiar ire she got from working with Yusuke began to build.

"No..." she said through clenched teeth, "We're going to get some leads." Yusuke frowned.

"Oh..." he said almost disappointedly. Then his face broke into a wide grin. "I wouldn't have minded, you know."

Botan looked at him curiously for a moment. Then she smiled. Yeah, he could be a real pain in the ass, but sometimes he was cool. Sometimes.

"We can get some after we nab this guy. My treat," she offered as they rounded the corner to the park. She parked the car and shut off the ignition. They both climbed out and Yusuke began to stretch.

"So do we split or what?" he croaked. Botan walked from the street over to where he stood on the sidewalk. She reached into her vest pocket and took out a pair of sunglasses. She unfolded them and placed them over her eyes.

"Of course. We cover more ground that way. Got your Roger?" she asked. Yusuke reached down to his waist and unclipped a walkie-talkie from his hip. He held it up and shook it before he clipped it back to his belt. Botan nodded approvingly.

"Good. Radio if you need me or if you find something to go on," she said before she turned curtly and began to walk down the pathway into the park. Yusuke frowned then turned his head as he saw two pretty, young women jogging up to him. He clapped his hands and began to rub them together eagerly, a mischievous smirk replacing his frown.

"Excuse me, ladies? I've got a few questions to ask you if you have the time..."

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Two hours and several dead-end leads later, Botan was standing where she had first began, questioning a young couple.

"You say he circled the park several times?" she asked, a pen and a small notepad in hand. The girl nodded, hugging onto her boyfriend as if she were terrified.

"Yes, he did," she said. Botan nodded, scribbling something onto her paper.

"Uhn hunh... And did you see him talking to anyone, perhaps while still in his car?" she said, her eyes still fixed on her pad. The young boy nodded his head.

"He called the hot dog vendor over once. I didn't hear what they where talking about, though. They were too far away and I wasn't really trying to listen anyway. But he had caught my eye just because of the way he was watching the park. So I kept an eye on him," he said. Botan pursed her lips as she wrote down what the boy had just told her.

"The hot dog vendor, you say? Is _he_ still around?" she said looking up to peer around. The girl nodded and pointed off to her side.

"He was just over there. He'll probably make his way around shortly... Oh, I was so terrified!" she cried, throwing a forearm across her eyes. Botan looked back at the young girl and squinted.

"Terrified? Why? Did he say anything to you? Did he... harm you in any way?" she asked her. The girl threw her arms around her lanky boyfriend again and sobbed. Botan rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

"Young lady? I need to know if he's done or said anything to you," she said slowly. The girl looked up at Botan, her eyes wide and tearful as she bit frightfully on her knuckle. She shook her head quickly.

"Okay then," said Botan, snapping her pad closed and shoving her pen back into her vest pocket, "Thank you for your time and cooperation."

With that, she tersely turned on her heels and began to walk over to where the girl had pointed off to, leaving the boy to comfort his overly distraught girlfriend. She sighed.

Every one wants to be a dramatic...

Her paces became slower as she came across Yusuke chatting with a busty young lady. He had his back towards her but from the blush on the girl's face, she could tell he was flirting. His pad was out, but Botan was positive it wasn't a lead he was writing down.

She stopped walking completely as she came up behind him. She folded her arms across her chest and began to tap her foot impatiently.

"... so of course, I had to save her hide _again_. I mean, I'm like Superman in my precinct," he bragged falsely. The girl put a hand to her copious chest and sighed adoringly.

"Wow... how brave of you. How does your partner ever make it through the day without you?" she said, her highly pitched voice almost causing Botan to gag.

"I can't! I have to have him with me every step of the way... I mean, I'm just so defenseless... even if I **do** outrank him!" Botan interjected, mimicking the girl's voice. Yusuke's shoulders shot up to his ears and he slowly turned around, his face red with embarrassment.

"Botan! I was just... asking this young woman about that man..." he said.

"What man?" said the squeaky voice behind him.

"So, get any info?" he asked, quickly changing the topic. Botan shook her head, her cerulean bangs waving along with it.

"Nope... what about you? Catch anything besides her number?" she said. Yusuke gave her a cheesy smile and placed a hand on the back of his head. The young woman's head suddenly shot out from Yusuke's side, a very irate pout in tow.

"Excuse me, _Missy_, but this man and I were having a nice conversation. I believe you just **rudely** interrupted us..." she said, stepping beside Yusuke.

Yusuke gave a short whistle and took a large step away from the girl. Botan put a fingertip to the edge of her glasses and pushed them down a little. She eyed the girl up and down before she looked back up at her face. She glared at her meaningfully, her eyes shaped into small slits.

"I don't have time to play with young, whorish slurs like you. So listen to my advice and take it how you want it: Scram," she threatened through clenched teeth.

A look of disbelief struck the girl's face before it was quickly covered with a scowl. She looked over to Yusuke, who shrugged, then back at Botan. She lifted her hand to give her the bird before she turned and sauntered off. Yusuke threw his head back and let a gaudy laugh rip through the air before he turned to look at Botan.

"Thanks for handling that for me, Hasaki. I couldn't have worded that better myself. She was a real pain, " he lied placing a hand on her shoulder. Botan growled as she gathered a handful of his T-shirt and yanked him down to eyelevel.

"**You** were supposed to be looking for our guy!" she grounded out through clenched teeth. Yusuke gulped. He placed a hand around Botan's wrist and pried her off his shirt.

"I was! Honestly! But she came up to me asking me questions about my job so I had to answer! I can't just be rude like you and snap at everyone who says something to me!" he replied.

"Whatever. Look, I don't even care anymore. Just... what did you get for us to go on?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Oh!" said Yusuke as he began to flip through his pad, "Lemme see... yeah, this guy said he spotted him at a bar two blocks north of here... these two little kids said that he winked at them, too... aaaaand that's about it. The rest is unimportant stuff that I'm sure you've got as well."

"Kuso!" Botan cursed as she snatched her glasses from her face. She sighed and began to rub her forehead with the back of her wrist. Then she bit her lip and placed her hands on her hips. She raised her head to look around the park.

Just then, she noticed the black SUV parked...

right...

in...

front...

of...

her...

car.

Her eyes widened as she watched Dewy lounged against his door, his arms folded across his chest as he surveyed the passersby. It was him alright, clad in dingy blue jeans, a ratty muscle shirt, a leather vest, and thick, black biker boots. His large, round sunglasses were perched atop of his head which was topped in a long, blonde, oily mullet. His face was dirty and pockmarked, trimmed with a blonde goatee. He had a tattoo of a spider web on the back of his hand, this she recognized cogently from the photo in his records.

"Botan? Are you alright?" said Yusuke, placing a hand on her shoulder. Botan looked at him. He was peering in her face concernedly, his eyes holding a little worry. Botan nodded quickly and opened her vest once more to slip her shades into the pocket.

"Yes, just a little hungry, is all. Say... I saw a food vender a little ways down. Can you go get us some hot dogs and a couple sodas?" she said taking out her wallet. At the mention of food, Yusuke's eyes sparked, a wide smile spreading across his face. He shook her shoulder lightly.

"Of course! What kind of soda do you want?" he asked. Botan shrugged as she pulled out some bills and handed it to him.

"Whatever you get. Here," she said handing him an extra bill, "get you something extra."

Yusuke happily accepted the money, too hungry to suppose that she was trying to draw his attention elsewhere. Then his brows furrowed.

"Hey, aren't you gonna' come with?" he asked her.

"Nah," Botan said, "I've gotta' go call Koenma. I'll meet you over at the picnic benches."

Yusuke nodded then ran off towards the vendor. Botan turned back around to see that Dewy was already watching her. She smirked and cupped her breast to adjust them. Then she bit her lip seductively as she began to saunter over to him.

"Nice truck," she complimented when she reached him. Dewy licked his lips and smiled, revealing he was missing a front tooth.

"Nice ass," he retorted gruffly. Botan clenched her hands at her sides, already ready to let this guy have the beating of his life. But she remembered she had to stay calm; she just **had** to catch this one. She gave a ditzy laugh.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself," she said folding her arms behind her back and batting her lashes at him. Dewy's smile grew wider.

"Wanna' ride?" he said. Botan blinked rapidly, not understanding if he was talking dirty or suggesting literally.

"Excuse me?" she asked, close to letting her facade slip. She didn't take kindly to men talking dirty to her. Dewy nodded back at his truck.

"Wanna' ride?" he repeated. Botan laughed, covering the fact that she was almost angry.

"No, but how about I take **you** for a ride?" she said, pushing back her vest to reveal her handcuffs. Dewy's smile grew even wider, thinking she was hinting something kinky. That is, until he noticed her gun... and her badge. His arms dropped and his face fell as he abruptly stood straight.

"Shit!" he cursed. Botan nodded.

"Yes, and you're in a lot of it," she said as she unlatched her cuffs from her belt band then unhooked her gun. She made a motion for him to turn around then stepped up to him. She opened one of the cuffs and slapped it on his wrist then tightened it.

"You're going away for a long time," she told him over his shoulder. She tried to open the other cuff but couldn't. The lock was jammed.

"Shit!" she exclaimed as she tugged fiercely at the cuff but to no avail. Dewy growled lowly and Botan had just enough time to look up before she felt the back of his head smash into her nose. Botan stumbled backwards, dazed from the blow. Dewy took this time to turn around and sock Botan right in the jaw, knocking the gun out of her hand. The hit sent Botan reeling as she staggered backwards then fell, clutching at her nose.

"Yep, and you're in a lot of it, Hun," he said as he stepped up to her and kicked her harshly in the ribs. He then turned and dashed to his car. He opened the door and hopped in before he started it up and pulled of, leaving tire tracks in his wake.

Botan snatched her gun from the floor and hopped to her feet. She ran over to her car and jumped inside, not caring that rivulets of blood were pouring out of her nostrils or that she was leaving Yusuke. She started her car and tore off, in hot pursuit of Dewy.

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Botan dipped and dodged through traffic, narrowly missing other cars as she sped along the streets after the black SUV. She lifted a hand once to wipe her nose with the sleeve of her dress shirt, smearing the blood on her top lip. But she never lost Dewy, not even when he crossed over through all the lanes and passed onto the highway. She yanked her steering wheel to the side to follow, ignoring the blaring horns as she nearly hit them in passing. The highway was scarce, giving Botan enough room to close the gap between them. She unlatched the small speaker from its place on the dash and lifted it to her mouth.

"Pull over!" she shouted. She promptly received a finger out of the driver's window for a reply. Botan growled angrily. She lifted the speaker to her mouth once more.

"I'll ask you once more: Pull over!" she shouted. Same response.

"That's it!" she snarled. She threw the talkie down and slapped her hand onto the wheel. She jerked it to the left and stomped onto the gas pedal, pulling up right next to him. The crook looked out the window and sneered.

"Fuck you!" he shouted. Botan smiled sinisterly.

"We'll see who's fucked... she mumbled. She jerked the wheel right, causing her car to ram into its neighbor.

"Hey!" the man shouted. His car swerved unsteadily for a moment before he regained balance. He chuckled and pressed the gas pedal harder, hastily surpassing Botan's car. Botan reached up to her collar and loosened her tie.

"Alright, you're asking for it!" she hollered. She pressed the gas pedal once more, catching up with the suspect easily enough. She steered the car far left, then jerked it to her right again. She rammed into him once more, this time knocking him off course.

"Holy shit!" the man shouted as his car veered off the highway and careened into a steep ditch.

Botan pulled over quickly. She opened the door and hopped out, hand ready at her waistband. She kicked off her heels and scurried down the ditch. She made it down just in time to see the car door swing open. She ran over to the door and swiftly lifted her foot up, kicking Dewy squarely in the nose. He let out an agonized scream as he crumpled to the ground, streams of blood flowing through his fingers as he now clutched at his nose. He rolled over to see a silver Magnum pointed squarely to his forehead.

"Don't you fucking move!" Botan shouted, cocking the switch with her thumb. Dewy yelped and his hands shot up. Botan frowned.

"What? No more fight?" she asked. In one swift motion, Botan flipped her gun around then swung her arm back, striking him in the face with the butt of the handle. She then lifted her foot and stomped it down between his legs, eliciting a screech from him.

"Sorry, Dewy. But it looks like you won't be 'screwing' anything for a while," she grunted as she placed a foot on his side and kicked, rolling him over on his stomach.

"Arms behind your back, Screwy," she demanded. Dewy complied easily enough, not wanting anymore harm to befall him. She pulled out her keys and unlocked the jammed cuff, smirking triumphantly when they came loose. She slapped it on his other wrist then grabbed his forearm.

"Up on your feet, Tough-guy," she mocked as the tugged him to his feet. She led him back up the ditch and to her car. She opened the back door and pushed him in, slamming the door closed when he was seated. She unclipped her phone from her hip and dialed a number.

"Yeah, Keiko? Tell Koenma he can come pick up 'The Screw'."

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**__**

AN: Well there's the first chapter to **_Dividing Loyalty_**, my new fic! I know I said I wasn't going to write another story until I finish _The Flower and The Fox_, but I just couldn't keep this to myself.

Botan comes off a bit harsh in this chapter, but don't worry, she won't really stay that way. And I also know it seems kinda' like this is a Koenma/Botan fic but, really, it's not. They're just really close. Kurama's gonna' come into view soon enough. But there might be a lil' Yu/Bo, though... Don't worry, it'll all come together! **:D**

Heh, instead of a pacifier, Koenma sucks on his lip! Oh, and just in case you guys were wondering, here are the ages of the main characters:

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Botan: 24

****

Kurama: 26

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Yusuke: 25

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Koenma: 28

I hope you all liked this first chapter. Please review! It would mean **so much **to me! **XD**

PS: I didn't really like the ending to Envy. Did you? Should I post another? Let me know, please.


	2. The Ball

Botan sat on the back of an open ambulance holding an ice pack to her jaw. Koenma stood in front of her, shaking his head scornfully. Not a word passed between the two until Botan's swollen face split into a gloating smile.

"I got the Bastard," she bragged. Koenma's lips pursed and he lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes, you did. And you lost a mouthful of teeth in the process," he retorted. Botan laughed, which caused him to frown.

"I don't find anything funny about this, Hasaki," he scolded. Botan stopped laughing but kept her smile. She began to swing her legs, which were dangling off the back of the ambulance.

"Oh, c'mon Chief. You know as well as I do I was going after that guy alone. And I still have all of my teeth," she chuckled. Koenma's frown deepened.

"Just look at you. You're a mess. You could have a broken nose and you don't care," he said quietly. It was the truth; she did look a bit tossed. One side of her face was swollen, a deep bruise coming in on her jaw. She had a small roll of gauze in one nostril and the other was caked with dried blood. Her blood stained sleeve was rolled back to reveal a large red scrape from when Dewy knocked her to the ground. Botan shrugged, her cocky grin falling to a light smile.

"Of course I care. I care that I caught the bad guy. I care that there is a small percentage of women in New York that can sleep safely tonight... and that there are a few children that I've saved from seeking the help of a money-grubbing shrink in the future because they're sexually confused. Do I care that I look this way?" she sighed as she looked thoughtfully towards the sky. After a moment, she shook her head slowly, never tearing her eyes from the setting sun.

"No, I can't say that I do. Me looking this way lets me feel like I've accomplished something good. My body aches because I've exerted myself today. Tomorrow, it will ache for the same reason. But the day that it stops aching, that will be the day that I lose my sense of accomplishment. And then, you'll assign me another case, telling me to take Meshi along, and I'll ditch him again and catch the suspect. Then my sense of accomplishment will come back. So no, I can't say that I do care," Botan responded. Koenma shoved his hands into his pockets.

"So... really, what you're letting me know is that you don't care what I say, either...?" he questioned. Botan sighed and dropped her hand that held the ice pack into her lap.

"Why do we have to go through this after _every_ assignment?" she groaned.

"We wouldn't have to if you would just **listen** to me! Not just as your boss, not as an authority figure, but as your friend, also! Or can you even call me that anymore?" he asked her, his voice gaining volume. Botan rolled her eyes.

"Please don't play that card. Not today," she complained.

"I mean it, Botan! What does it take to get you to start using your head?! If you won't listen to me, who will you listen to?" he asked. Botan frowned.

"Look, I do what I have to do to get the job done. If, by the end of the day, there's one less scumbag scouring the streets and laying in jail instead, why should it matter how he got there?" she growled.

"God-damnet, Botan! That's not the point! I'm not worried about the criminal's safety! I'm worried about yours! One day, you're going to ditch Urameshi, and that'll be the day that you actually need him!" he snapped, a small vein popping from his forehead. Finally, Botan looked down at him, a weary expression on her face.

"Fine, Daioh. Since you 'care' so much, I'll take him with me next assignment. For real," she sighed, too tired to argue with him. Koenma studied her face for a while before he sighed also. She was pretty banged up. So, he would let her recuperate without stress, even if he did know she was lying.

"Hasaki!" shouted an angry voice from behind Koenma.

Botan peered past Koenma to see a very pissed Lieutenant Urameshi holding two hot dogs in one hand and two canned sodas between the fingers of his other. She shrank back, trying to hide behind Koenma's silhouette. But Koenma stepped aside.

"Hey! Traitor!" Botan hissed as she glared at him. Koenma gave her a lazy half-smile.

"You owe him an explanation. I'll see you in two days," he said as he began to walk towards his car. When passing the ambulance, he reached out and ruffled the top of Botan's head, earning a grumble from her. She groaned as Yusuke began to head towards her.

"You left me... again!" he shouted. Botan shrugged.

"You knew I was going to. I always do," she explained lethargically.

"And what does it get you? A busted up jaw and a bloody nose! I tell ya', you gotta' know when to pick your battles, Botan!" he scolded her. Botan held a hand up to stop him from saying anything else and hopped from the ambulance.

"Save it, Meshi. I've already heard it from Daioh," she clipped. Yusuke's frown deepened.

"This isn't funny, Hasaki. One of these days, one of your fantastic stunts is going to get someone killed!" he shouted. Botan rolled her eyes and tried to walk past him, but his arm shot out to stop her.

"You might get yourself killed, Botan. Then I won't even _have_ a partner to yell at anymore..." he told her, his voice quiet, yet stern. Botan rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile that slid onto her face. She looked up at him with something closely akin to playfulness on her face. Yusuke held his breath as he sensed her hand slowly rising...

...higher...

...higher...

Then...

Yusuke gasped at the sudden force of the two hot dogs being slapped from his hand. He looked down to watch as the two meat rolls tumbled from their buns and across the ground. He looked up at the sound of Botan's laughter.

"You know what?" she chuckled as she placed a hand on his chest, "you can buy us some knew ones. It'll make you feel better." Yusuke shook his head slowly, an incredulous grin slowly making it's way across his mouth.

"I want ice cream this time. I dropped mine while running here," he told her. Botan laughed as he turned and offered his arm. Her smile grew as she took it, grateful he spared her from more lecture. Yusuke looked down at her and sighed.

He never could stay mad at her.

* * *

Somehow, by about 10:15, Yusuke and Botan ended up in a sport's bar, which was pretty packed due to the pre-Independence Day hubbub. They both sat at a table in the middle of the bar laughing loudly at a story Yusuke had told. 

"You're lying! You've... got... to... be!" she pushed out through the laughter. Yusuke pressed a hand to his chest and raised three fingers with the other.

"I swear! Scout's honor!" he laughed. Botan folded her hands on the table and smacked her lips disbelievingly.

"Like you were ever a boy scout..." she said. Yusuke's face contorted into one of confusion as he placed a finger to his bottom lip.

"I didn't know you had to be a boy scout to use that swear. I thought you had to be on a baseball team..." he said thoughtfully, sending Botan into another laughing fit.

"Hey, you want another beer?" he leaned over and asked as her laughter subsided. Botan shook her head.

"Nah, no thank you. I've filled my quota for the night," she answered.

"Oh, c'mon, Botan! We both know that your quota is higher than the regular," Yusuke teased.

Botan laughed again then reached across the table to smack his arm. He smiled and caught her hand. He lifted it to his face to examine it closely. His smile slowly fell as he carefully scrutinized her slender fingers. They were long and her fingernails were clipped close to skin. Her knuckles were soft and worn, probably from the numerous beatings she handed out weekly. He turned her hand over and resumed his examination on her palm. He immediately noticed the few small calluses and dry scabs on the surface. But his eyes narrowed solely on the long jagged scar that began at the base of her thumb and ended about an inch down her wrist. He frowned as he traced it softly with his finger.

"What happened?" he asked looking back up at her. Botan grinned widely.

"Bar fight," she answered. She stared at the bewildered look that plagued his face for a moment before she laughed.

"What?" she said, sliding her hand from his grasp, "Expecting a sob story?" Yusuke smiled cheaply then scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, my dear partner, but there aren't any," she told him.

"Then why are you a cop?" Yusuke asked while reaching for his beer bottle. Botan shrugged.

"Repressed aggression, I guess," she stated flatly. Yusuke's eyebrows wrinkled.

"Repressed?" He snorted. "Hardly."

"Hey, I only dish out to those who deserve. And most of the time they deserve something bad," she said with a shrug.

"So you deliver?" Yusuke asked before sipping his beer.

"Yep," Botan said with a wink. Yusuke smiled.

"You know, one woman can't take down New York by herself," he teased. Botan rose from her chair and stretched.

"No," she yawned, "But I can try."

She released a small squeal at the end of her yawn then dropped her arms, her hands slapping loudly against her thighs. Yusuke stood with his bottle. He held it out and shook it.

"Bottom's up," he said before he pressed his lips to the rim of bottle and tilted his head back. He closed his eyes while drinking, his Adam's apple bobbing with each gulp. As he downed the last contents of the bottle, a small trickle escaped the corner of his mouth and trailed down his chin. When it was empty, he snatched the bottle away from his lips, producing a loud popping noise. He slammed the bottle down on the table then placed his hands on his hips, a victorious grin on his face. Then his smile faltered and he tilted his chin upward thoughtfully. He opened his mouth widely and released a startling, bluntly loud belch.

"Ugh!" Botan said as she scrunched her face up. Then she laughed and shook her head. "You're disgusting." Yusuke lifted a hand to wipe his chin off and grunted.

"You're just jealous of my talent," he teased. Botan snorted.

"I don't think so," she said. "C'mon, let's go. I have to rest up for resting up tomorrow." Yusuke frowned.

"So you're going to get some rest in tonight so that you can rest tomorrow?" he asked. Botan nodded. Yusuke shrugged.

"Whatever. Let's just go. I'm really tired from chasing you down," he said with a wince at the memory of running through traffic with hot dogs and soda in both hands. He just couldn't waste good food.

"Alright," said Botan, "I'll drive you home."

"No, just drive me to the station. My car is there," he said as he followed her to the door. They exited the noisy bar and crossed the street to her car. Botan unlocked the driver's door and they both climbed in. The ride to the station was quiet, save for the small occasional burp from Yusuke.

Botan pulled up in front of the police station and turned off the car. She sighed and placed the side of her head into her palm, leaning her elbow on the door for balance.

"So... are we cool?" Botan said, a question she would usually ask after she left him. And he would usually sigh then say "yeah, we're cool," shake her hand, and climb out of the car. But Yusuke had something up his sleeve this time.

"No," he answered coolly. Botan frowned, his answer taking her off guard.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Yusuke grinned slyly and folded his hands in his lap.

"I said we're not cool. You owe me for leaving me back there, so..." he said. He lifted a hand to dig into his inside suit pocket. Then he pulled out a piece of paper and began to wave it teasingly in the front of her face. Botan's eyes moved back and forth with his swaying hand trying to see what it was he was holding. She frowned and growled in agitation. Swiftly, she lifted her hand to grab at his wrist, her other hand snatching the paper from his hand. She squinted and lifted the paper close to her face, as she couldn't see in the dark.

"What is this...? A ticket? To where? A concert?" she asked looking back up at him. Yusuke shook his head.

"No. To the senator's July fourth ball tomorrow. It's being held at the New York Auditorium of The Arts. I'll pick you up around... eight o'clock?" he said. Botan's mind was still spinning.

"Wait... What?! How did you get tickets to the senator's ball?" she asked confusedly.

"Daioh. And he also told me to ask you to go with me. He said he didn't want to go and that it was a great opportunity for us to get to know more about each other," he told her simply.

"So... this isn't like a... date or anything... right?" Botan asked hesitantly. Yusuke blanched embarrassedly.

"What?! No! We're just attending together! Nothing romantic... But you do have to dress nice," he told her while pointing at her vest, "so none of _that_." Botan looked down at her vest.

"What's wrong with _this_?" she asked, looking back up at him Yusuke shook his head.

"Hasaki, you dress like a guy. Hell, you dress better than half the men in our station!" he said. Botan scoffed.

"I do not," she said folding her arms across her chest offendedly.

"So are you going to go?" Yusuke sighed. Botan smiled.

"Do I have a choice?" she asked. Yusuke smiled back.

"No, but I always love to hear your opinion anyway," he answered. Botan laughed.

"Get out!" she demanded pointing at the door.

"Alright, alright!" Yusuke said as he opened his door. He lifted his leg to step out of the car, then hesitated. He bit his lip thoughtfully then nodded as he made up his mind. He turned back around and leaned over to kiss Botan lightly on the cheek. He grinned happily at her surprised face then turned around and hopped out of the car before she had a chance to gather her marbles and pound him. He slammed the door closed then bent down to the window and held up eight fingers.

"Eight o'clock!" he reminded her before he knocked on the window and then jogged towards his car. Botan shook off the remains of her shock and then started her car. She sighed as she pulled off, blowing her bangs out of her face.

* * *

"I'm **not **taking off my coat!" growled Botan as she clenched at her black trench tighter. Yusuke took a meaningful step towards her with his hand out. 

"Give me the jacket, Hasaki! You can't go in there wearing it! I have to give it to the bell boy!" he strained through clenched teeth. Botan shook her head and took a step back. Yusuke followed suit and she took another. She swallowed and began to look around.

"NO!" shouted Yusuke, "Don't you dare!"

Botan looked at him again, her eyes alight with mischief. She gave him an evil grin before she turned and made a dash for his car.

But... due to the blue high heel sandals she was wearing, she didn't get very far.

* * *

"See? Isn't this nice? And it's **not** cold in here," said Yusuke as he entered the auditorium. He handed the bell boy her trench and turned to smile at Botan who was glaring daggers at his back. 

"I don't know why you want to hide. You look really nice," he said as he looked her up and down. She was clad in a powder blue dress that fit her form like a second skin. It was spaghetti strapped with a dip that made the collar fall and scrunch just below her breasts, showing a fair amount of cleavage. It was open-backed with three thin silver chains linking the material together. Her high heeled sandals, which had failed her earlier in flight, strapped up to her calves.

"I imagine you would, since you picked it out!" Botan snapped while glowering at the memory of him barging into her home and ransacking through her closet. She had been asleep all day, her intent being on staying home from the ball. But she hadn't banked on Yusuke coming to pick her up.

"Yeah," he laughed, "I do have good taste." Botan rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to go into that big ass ballroom with a swollen jaw and a bruised nose, Meshi!" she whined wrapping an arm around herself uncomfortably. Yusuke rolled his eyes. He lifted a hand and cupped her chin gently.

"Let me see," he sighed as he turned her face slowly. He leaned over a little to peer at the small purple spot on her face. He brushed his thumb over the bruise and she winced.

"Sorry," he mumbled. he drew back and pushed his hands into his pockets.

"It isn't so bad. It's gone down since yesterday. You can barely see it now," he told her. Botan shrugged.

"I'm still not going in there," she said with a defiant smirk. Yusuke sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself," he said as he turned around. He approached the door man and handed him his ticket. He began to walk away briskly then stopped, slapping a hand to his forehead forgetfully.

"Oh!" he said turning to look back at her. He shook his head slowly and sighed.

"I've got two words for you: **open bar**."

Botan's eyebrows shot sky-high and without a moment's hesitation she was by his side with her arm linked to his.

"You know, I was thinking, maybe this could be fun," she said with a bright grin as they entered the ball room.

They stopped in the large entranceway of the ballroom and Botan almost gasped aloud.

The room was huge.

There was a row of stairs that led to the shiny, marble floor. The tables were pushed to the far side of the room so people could dance slowly to the soft classical music that was being played by the small orchestra on the other far side of the room. In the middle of the ceiling dangled an extravagant crystal chandelier. And right across from where they stood, Botan noted, was the bar which was quite empty save for two women.

Botan smiled, a greedy gleam reflected in her eyes. She would have to rectify that.

"Hey, I'm going to go have a word with the senator's son. Then I'm gonna' get us a table, if I can. Will you wait for me at the bar?" he leaned over to ask her. Botan looked up at him and nodded. Yusuke smiled and unlatched his arm from hers.

"Be good, Botan," he said, giving a playful flick to her nose as they walked down the stairs. She shot him a scowl and he laughed before he turned and walked through the crowd. Botan suddenly smiled and began to rub her hands together covetously.

"To the bar!" she declared as she sifted her way through the dancing people. It took a lot of effort, having been approached by a few men, but when she finally made it to the bar she dropped heavily on a stool. She sighed as she rotated the seat to face the counter. She smiled brightly at the bartender.

"A glass of champagne, please," she said cheerfully. Someone beside her scoffed.

"Doesn't she mean a whiskey straight?" whispered one of the two women sitting next to her, which was followed by a fit of giggles.

"She does look kinda' brutish, doesn't she?" laughed the second party.

Botan sucked her teeth and cocked her head. She was familiar with this kind of talk from other women. It was nothing new to her. She was, after all, a rough gal. But that didn't mean they shouldn't be put in their places. She opened her mouth to say something but before any words could be formulated, the bartender was back.

"Here you go, ma'am," she said while placing Botan's glass down. Suddenly forgetting about cursing out the two wenches who had so rudely insulted her, she brightened visibly.

"Thank you, Missy!" Botan chirped as she lifted the glass to her lips. But then, her eyes narrowed when she heard the two women begin whispering again as she sipped her alcoholic beverage.

Botan looked to her side to glare at the two whispering women beside her. Then she saw that they weren't actually looking at her anymore, but towards the direction of the doors. They were both covering their mouths to gab quietly with wide, astonished eyes. Then her ears perked at the sound of a female chorus of giggles and gasps. Slowly, she rotated her spinning stool to see what the commotion was about. But she couldn't see a thing.

With curious eyes, Botan rose from her seat. She leaned over to the side to see around the rowdy crowd of women, but to no avail. Then she stood on her tip-toes and lifted her chin with the same results. With an irritated grunt, she plopped back on her seat. But still, she didn't look away from the female gathering, she was much too interested now. The crowd erupted in a fit of giggles before a male voice emerged from the group.

"Ah, ladies, my friend and I would love to bask in this sea of beauty, but we must talk with the senator," he said charmingly earning a chorale of disappointed moans.

Botan looked on with rapt interest as the group of pouting women reluctantly parted. Then a tall, handsome man with long black hair stumbled forward and out of the crowd. He sighed then dusted off the brimmed hat that he held and placed it on his head. He looked down at himself with a frown to straighten his crisp, black overcoat. Then he turned back to the crowd. He grinned then cocked his head to beckon for someone else to join him. Botan watched unblinkingly as another man emerged from the crowd followed by a group of about twenty men. This one, she noticed was a tall redhead, he too, dressed in black. The man shook his head and they both chuckled as a waitress ushered their group to a large table.

"Botan! Did you hear me?" questioned a voice from beside her. Botan's head whipped around to see Yusuke staring at her aggravatedly. She didn't even notice him sit next to her.

"Botan, did you hear what I said?" he asked again. Botan shook her head, trying to get rid of the sudden wave of admiration she had been hit with while watching them cross the room to a corner table.

"Huh? What did you say?" she said. Yusuke straightened a little and pressed his lips into a thin line as he glared at her with agitation written on his face. Botan smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Meshi. My mind was... elsewhere," she laughed. Yusuke fidgeted in his seat. He glanced quickly over at the corner table then back to her. Then he shook his head and sighed.

"I managed to get us a table," he said as he stood. Botan hopped from her stool. She laced her arm through his again then grinned apologetically up at him.

"Lead the way, sir," she said with a mock solute. Yusuke regarded her suspiciously for a moment before he smiled.

"Gladly," he said as he led her across the floor. When they reached the table, Yusuke pulled out a chair for Botan to sit at before he sat down next to her. Almost immediately after they had sat, a pretty young lady approached their table requesting Yusuke of a dance. He looked at Botan.

"Can I?" he asked. Botan's eyebrows frowned.

"Yusuke, what am **I** supposed to do? Sit here by myself? I don't know any of these people!" she exclaimed. Yusuke put a hand to his chest.

"That's not **my** fault, _is it_?" he retorted.

"No, but you asked me out and now you're going to leave me by myself?!" she said angrily. Yusuke blinked a few times then shifted in his seat.

"This **isn't** a date, Botan," he told her. Botan's jaw fell agape. Beside them, the girl rubbed her arm nervously.

"Um, I'll just go..." she said as she turned to leave.

"No," said Botan, catching her wrist, "it's not."

Yusuke shrugged uncaringly and stood from his seat. He grasped the girl's hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. Botan sighed angrily.

"I'm not angry," she mumbled to herself. "Just frustrated."

Yusuke was right, really. They weren't on a date. But why did he even bother to drag her out of her bed if he was just going to leave her by herself? Why had he even asked for her permission? Was he purposely attempting to make her jealous? And what kind of girl asks a guy to dance if he clearly attended with someone else? She hadn't wanted to attend the stupid ball in the first place!

Grumbling angrily to herself, she rolled her eyes from Yusuke on the dance floor to scan the rest of the room. It was quite large and filled with nothing but the richest and best known people in government and business.

Her eyes halted when they came across the redhead from earlier and his companion. She looked on as he exchanged words with a woman who stood next to him while he sat. He smiled kindly at her then shook his head slowly, and with a wistful look on her face, she turned and walked away. He sighed relievedly, only to be approached by another woman! Botan could only guess that they were all hitting on him, and judging from the disappointed looks they wore when walking away, getting declined.

Botan watched amusedly as woman after woman, separated by a mere matter of minutes, approached the young man and threw him a saucy pitch, only to be politely turned down. It was almost as if there was a line.

She snorted contemptuously as a tall, lanky, obviously older woman approached him. He laughed softly at something she said, but ended up turning her down also.

He was gorgeous man, she noted. This, of course, he knew, a smug expression on his face as his wickedly jade eyes scanned the room. She almost shrieked out loud when those eyes locked with her own. Instead, she gulped and sunk a little bit in her seat. She was even more surprised when he flashed her a charming smile.

Botan blinked twice then looked down, trying hard to avoid his solid gaze. Had he felt her watching him? Her heart sped into a rapid pace as she felt his inspecting orbs watching her face flush with blood. She sighed shakily.

Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe he wasn't even looking at her anymore. Maybe, hopefully, another woman had arisen and distracted him. Maybe she should take a look.

Slowly, Botan rolled her eyes upward. She felt her stomach jerk when she found his emerald irises were still watching her, his smile still locked in place. It grew wider as he leaned over to whisper to his hat-donned companion, his eyes never leaving her.

His companion turned from the lady he was chatting with to look at him curiously. The redhead said something and nodded in Botan's direction, prompting his companion to look at her also. She frowned when she saw the lecherous grin that quickly attached itself to his face.

Look at them... staring at me like I'm a piece of meat. They'd better stop looking at me...

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at the two, sending them a silent threat. The effect was dashed, though, when they both began to laugh. She clenched her hands in her lap as anger quickly began to replace her nervousness.

Are they... are they laughing?! At me?!

Oh, how badly she wanted to stomp over there and show them where laughing at Botan Hasaki will get them! But, alas, she was at the senator's ball and she didn't want bad press for ruining it. So, she settled on averting her eyes. If she didn't look at them, she didn't have to see them laughing.

Trying to distract herself, she reached for her champagne glass, although she did not pick it up. She slid her finger along its golden trimmed rim, watching as tiny bubbles floated from the bottom to the top of the glass, only to combust when coming into contact with the surface of the intoxicating substance. That seemed to soothe her ire somewhat. So enchanted with it she was, she didn't even notice when someone approached her table and slid smoothly into the chair across from her.

"We weren't laughing at you."

Startled, Botan yelped and slapped a hand to her chest as her eyes snapped up to meet her intruder.

It was the man's partner, the one with the hat. Immediately she took notice that he was almost as attractive as the redhead, only his looks contrasted drastically from his partner's. His features were mostly dark; opposite from the other's. His long, ebony hair was straight and shiny. It flowed from his brimmed hat to rest at the base of his back. His skin was a creamy, pale complexion, highlighting his pale blue eyes. He was dressed in all black, save for his tie which was made of white silk. He donned a long, black overcoat which swept at his feet as he walked. His hat had a large, silver buckle on the front of it. It cast a small shadow over his face, not at all subtracting from his beauty.

"Who the hell are you?" Botan asked when she was done looking him over. He chuckled lightly, not in the least offended by her bluntness.

"Forgive my rudeness. I should have asked to join you first miss..." he said. Botan swallowed before she answered.

"Hasaki. Botan Hasaki," she answered shakily, cursing herself for sounding so frail. The man looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, tapping his chin with his finger lightly.

"Botan..." he voiced as if sampling her name. Finally he looked at her and smiled.

"Ah, peony. It does suite you," he complimented. Botan frowned.

"How do you know what suits me?" she asked daringly. He looked over her figure slowly before he looked at her face again, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Let's just say I'm an excellent judge of character," he responded. Botan rolled her eyes and turned her head to look out at the dancing people.

"Temae nou betsuni, baka daiben nitsu," she mumbled under her breath. He raised a hand to wag a finger and 'tsked' forebodingly.

"Such nasty language, Miss Hasaki! For shame," he scolded playfully. Botan looked back at him.

"You speak Japanese?" she asked suspiciously. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Of course. I had better know my own language," he said casually. Botan looked him over yet again, and almost slapped herself for not noticing his Japanese features earlier. His eyes, which were light, yet mysterious, were exotic in their beauty. His facial structure was slim, yet masculine, adding to his good looks.

"What is your name?" Botan asked him. He smiled, satisfied with knowing that his presence intrigued her. He placed a hand on his stomach and bowed lightly.

"My name is Kuronou Taneda, loyal comrade to Shuuichi Minamino, trusted business partner to Kurama Ikoyo," he said as he looked back up at her.

"And which is he?" Botan asked nodding towards the redhead. Kuronou turned in his seat to look at his friend, who was busy talking with the senator and his wife.

"He," he said turning back around to face her, "is Shuuichi." Botan nodded.

"And he sent you over here?" she asked. Kuronou shook his head.

"No, I came of my own accord," he told her.

"Why? To laugh at me some more?" Botan said. Kuronou cocked his head to the side and grinned, his dark strands swaying as he moved.

"No, love, we weren't laughing at you, but at that adorable glare you shot our way," he said crossing his legs and folding his hands on top of his knees. Botan's eyebrows frowned.

"Adorable?" she squeaked. She had meant that look to be threatening... not... **cute**!

"Yes, adorable. It wasn't until after we sensed your anger did we realize you were serious. That's when I came over. I apologize if we caused any discomfort on your behalf," he said. Botan looked at him skeptically before she concluded that he was sincere. Her facial complexion slowly rose to a dusty pink color. Then, as hard as she tried not to, Botan laughed.

"Arigatou. That's very kind of you," she said, her face now lit with a broad smile. Kuronou smiled also, finding her a lot more attractive when she did so.

"Please," he offered, "Come join us at our table."

Botan looked past him at the table he came from and then back at him, shaking her head profusely.

"Oh, no! Thanks, but no thanks. Your, um... entourage is a little too big for my taste. I don't get along good with crowds. I'll just stay over here," she declined. Kuronou pursed his lips.

"They will be dismissed, if it comforts you," he suggested.

"No, it's okay! Really, it is. They don't have to get up just for me..." she laughed.

"Miss Hasaki," said Kuronou as he uncrossed his legs and leaned over, "I insist."

Botan bit her lip and groaned as she watched the table, its small minion of men appearing very intimidating. She looked up to see Kuronou standing next to her, hand stretched for her to take.

She sighed and reached out to grasp it.

* * *

**__**

AN: I **seriously** need to apologize to you guys. This chapter totally sucked. I just feel as if I didn't put my best foot forward on this one... more like the one with the sprained ankle. I'm kinda' disappointed. So, I must apologize for my crumminess. Now, with that said...

**Phew!!!**

That took some mind strength to write... and endurance. Half of me was telling the other half to dump this story and start on another. I'm really sorry it took me this long to update. I have the story completely written out but I'll be updating sporadically seeing as I'm a review-whoring scumbag! Tee hee!

Oh yeah, I'm not really sure what color Kuronou's eyes are. I just thought pale blue would suit his dark features. Don't be angry with me...

Thank you for taking the time to read! PLEASE REVIEW!!

* * *

**__**

Shameless Plugging: You guys just _have_ to read **_Foxgloves_**, by **Volpone**! Absolutely addictive!!


	3. Dancing With The Enemy

**__**

Disclaimer: Nah. I don't own it. Cos if I did, Hiei would get all the sweet snow his little midget heart desired!

* * *

Botan stood from her seat and allowed Kuronue to lead her from the table and across the dance floor. As they passed through the swaying people, she noticed many pairs of eyes glaring evilly at her, several of whom belonged to women who had been turned down by Shuichi, to which she smiled amiably. When they approached the table, Kuronue raised a hand to snap his fingers loudly, causing his group to turn their attention to him. 

"Leave," he demanded simply.

"Hai!" they all answered in unison as they scrambled out of their chairs and away from the table. Kuronue stepped aside to motion for Botan to sit down right across from Shuichi. He then sat next to him.

Shuichi eyed Botan with interest, taking delight in the fact that she could hold his gaze unwaveringly.

"I assume my friend Kuronue has already told you my name..." he drawled with a lazy smile. Botan nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Minamino, he did," she said casually.

"Then that just leaves me with the query of _your_ name," he said.

"Botan Hasaki," she said. She looked at Kuronue, who was oddly grinning from ear to ear. "Your friend is quite the charmer. He conned me out of my anger." Shuichi smiled wider.

"Yes, and he can con you out of a lot more, if given the chance," he said. Kuronue turned to frown at Shuichi, which he ignored. Then he rolled his eyes over to Botan.

"Don't listen to him, Miss Hasaki. I could never bring foul onto a woman with such beauty as your own. Besides _he_ is the fox amongst the two of us..." he said as he smiled warmly at her. Shuichi shook his head and chuckled, leaving Botan utterly confused about the odd analogy.

Just then a young, slender woman dressed in a black tuxedo approached Kuronue from behind and leaned over to whisper something in his ear. He nodded and waved her away. Then he stood and bowed politely.

"Excuse my rudeness. I have an important matter to attend to," he apologized. He stretched his arm to reach for Botan's hand, which she gave him with the intentions of shaking it. But he surprised her when he gently flipped it over and brushed his lips across the surface of it and then gave it a small squeeze.

"It was a pleasure to meet you. Until we meet again, as I have a feeling we will very soon," he said. Then he looked back at Shuichi.

"Duty calls," he said with a wink in his direction before he turned to leave. Botan watched him as he took large, brisk steps across the room, skillfully stepping around the dancing people. After he had walked up the stairs and through the doors, she looked back to Shuichi, who, strangely enough, was already watching her. She blinked uncomfortably.

"What?" she asked as she fidgeted nervously in her seat. Shuichi pursed his lips and folded his hands on the table.

"You know," he burred, "you were one of the only women here that hasn't approached Kuronue or myself." Botan shrugged.

"So?" she snorted.

"It just strikes me as odd, is all," he sighed. Botan cocked her head to the side, her lips pursed in confusion.

"Excuse me but, what are you talking about?" she asked. The arrogantly handsome redhead rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Almost every woman in here has approached me to make a... **proposition** of sorts. But not you. Why not?" he said. Botan's eyebrows slowly shifted to a furrow.

"Could it possibly be that I'm not like those women? _Or_... even that I'm not interested in you?" she countered. Shuichi leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and draping his arm across the back of it.

"That's really funny," he laughed. "But really, Miss Hasaki, are you married, involved?" Botan scrunched her face distastefully.

What the _hell_ was he on that had him feeling so high and mighty?! Helium?!

"...The hell? No, I'm not married!" she exclaimed angrily. Shuichi arched an eyebrow.

"Gay, then?" he questioned, a bit of intrigue attached to his voice. Botan bit her bottom lip. She hadn't known this man for more than three minutes and already he was on her nerves.

"I don't see where that's any of your business," she said slowly. Shuichi nodded slowly, jutting his lip out in contemplation. Then he grinned.

"So, you're gay then, huh?" he asked. Botan's jaw clenched as she felt her anger begin to fester to a near untamable level. Deciding that the best course of action to follow would be to leave, Botan rose from her seat, pushing her chair out as she stood. She put her hands on the flat surface of the table and leaned over, her eyes smothered in unmasked hostility.

"You are a certified asshole," she forced through clenched teeth before she turned to stomp away from the table. She headed for the door, pushing people aside to get through. She didn't care how she got home. She didn't care that she had only been there for an hour, she was fed up with those uppity snots, anyhow. She wanted to leave. Halfway across the dance floor, the angry detective felt a hand firmly grip her elbow, halting her walk. She turned around sharply and scowled, ready to curse him out. That is, until he spoke, a small smile attached to his face.

"I was only joking," he laughed. Botan yanked her arm away.

"Well I don't think you know me well enough to joke with me that way," she snapped, trying to keep from raising her voice. Shuichi nodded.

"You're absolutely right. So why don't we start over? Dance?" he said, holding out his hand. She looked down at it and shifted her weight to one foot nervously.

"I don't know... how," she mumbled reluctantly. Shuichi laughed softly.

"It's okay. You'll hardly have to do anything. I'll lead, you just follow," he told her reassuringly.

Botan looked down at his hand once more. Then she quickly glanced around them. Well, they **were** standing in the middle of a large group of dancing people. She looked back at his face, her eyelids closed to narrow slits.

"I'd better not feel your hand creeping across my ass," she told him seriously. Shuichi nodded.

"Of course not. I'll be a good boy," he teased. Hesitantly, she lifted her hand and slowly reached toward his; Much too slowly for his tastes. He reached out quickly, meeting her halfway. He pulled her close to him and she instantly tensed in his arms. He looked down at her face to see it was set in a stern mask.

"So serious," he teased. Botan looked up to meet his gaze and almost got angry again. Even his eyes seemed to be laughing at her.

"You and your friend sure do like making fun of people, don't you?" she quipped. He chuckled as they began to sway to the music.

"You know, it's not usual for me to chase after a woman..." he told her quietly. She sighed.

"Lucky me," she said dryly.

"... but that amusing look you sent my way had me intrigued," he continued as if she hadn't said anything.

"I would hardly call it amusing," she replied. Shuichi tilted his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"No... cute, more like it," he said. Botan rolled her eyes. She was tired of people saying that.

"Anyway, I saw those curious eyes of yours watching as those women approached me--"

"I wasn't really watching _you_," Botan lied, "I was counting how many dumb-clucks approached you."

It became quiet between the two and she was very grateful for that. She did not want to get into a discussion over why she was watching in the first place. It was already odd for her to be dancing with him. He was a very intimidating character, she decided. Really, just being around him was overwhelming her, though she was trying hard not to show it with her smart remarks and snapping comebacks. They weren't too close as they dance, so he couldn't feel how rapidly her most vital organ was pounding in the cage of her chest, and for that she was also grateful.

The melodious composition of the small orchestra wafted softly about the room, setting her at ease somewhat. Every now and then she would give him a fleeting glance, just to see his expression, but he would never be looking at her. He seemed to be looking at everything but her, his evergreen eyes scanning the vicinity of the vast ballroom.

His eyes, she noticed, were very absorbing. It seemed as if they were interested in everything, carefully taking in all as he gazed out. It was hard to look into them for long periods of time without feeling self-conscious, as if he could gauge her with a single glance. But she _had_ managed to hold his gaze and, for some reason, felt a small sense of accomplishment in doing so.

"So, what line of work are you in?" Shuichi asked, his soft, yet, deep voice stirring Botan from her contemplation.

"What?" she said. He looked down at her, angling his head as if in thought.

"Some sort law enforcement, I gather," he said, more so to himself than to her. Botan smirked.

"Let me guess: Intuition?" she said sarcastically. Shuichi shook his head slowly.

"No," he said, raising their linked hands to brush his thumb lightly along her cheekbone, "bruises."

Despite the fit of unease that quickly settled itself within the pits of her stomach, Botan smiled. She wanted to burst out laughing at the look of seriousness that overcame his face, but decided not to comment on it.

"He punched you?" he asked curiously.

"Nah," Botan laughed. "Just a head-butt. Then he kicked me when I was down, but I got this beauty of a bruise when my face knocked against the pavement." Shuichi's eyes narrowed.

"He is truly a coward," he said evenly.

Botan studied his face for a moment, wondering what had brought on this bout of sincerity to someone he didn't even know. Even though he had managed to thoroughly piss her off within five minutes of their meeting, she guessed that he considered himself a gentleman. He had stayed true to his word about keeping his hands above her waist and even made sure he didn't hold her too close for her comfort. And, from his statement, he was most probably very polite to women. But still, before she let her guards down, she _had_ to give him a hard time. It was just who she was.

"Oh? And just how do you define yourself?" she asked him, eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"...I don't. I am who I am, which, in it's many complexities, cannot be defined. I don't live by a title or titles, and I don't care what others think of me... unless they are the ones who are closest to me," he said, his eyes holding such seriousness Botan had to smother a shiver.

"And how do you describe yourself?" he said, a hint of a smile tracing his lips.

"Well..." Botan began, biting the corner of her lip.

She had never really thought about it. To be honest, no one had bothered to ask her a question like that, so she had never spent much time on it. She had always known who she was, but didn't put it to words. She just knew; it was just in her. She smiled.

"I'm..." she began with a breathy laugh, "I'm... what every female cop sees their self as... A hard-talking, drama-loving, trigger happy regulator."

"Somehow, I think that there's much more to you than that. In fact, I know there is," he said confidently.

"Is that so? And _how_ do you know that?" Botan asked curiously. If he hadn't had her full attention before, he was the center of her universe now.

"Because," he said with a sigh, "there's more to everyone. Every last person on this planet hides things. Even when you're married, there are certain things that will remain hidden until the day you die. And that's the way it's supposed to be. Now I'm not saying everyone has their own dirty little secret that they will take to their graves, but there is a sense of security you get when you know you can treasure something totally personal without having to tell a single soul. Don't you agree?" Botan nodded her understanding, impressed by the stimulating conversation he managed to strike up. She wanted to talk some more.

"Hey, let's sit and talk. I have a one-track mind. I can't dance and speak at the same time," she joked. He only nodded, relinquishing his hold on her to lead her towards the stairs of the entranceway.

All the way across the room, Yusuke slowly danced with the woman from earlier, whose name he had come to learn was Lira. He was having a rather good time and enjoying himself with her. She had let his hand creep down to her bottom, she had a nice personality, and although he knew it was phony, she laughed at his stupid jokes.

They swayed slowly to the music, cheeks pressed together as they moved. Then she stopped her movement to stand on her toes and whisper seductively into his ear, to which Yusuke replied with a wide, lecherous grin. In fact, it was so wide, that if it had spread anymore, it would have surely split his face in two. He lifted his head to peer around the room for Botan. Upon spotting her, he nodded to Lira.

"Sure, just let me got and tell my partner I'm leaving," he said. Lira groaned cutely and poked out her bottom lip in a childish pout. Yusuke shook his head and smiled.

"I'll be right back. I promise," he said as he stepped away from her. He made his way through the crowd and towards the stairs where Botan sat chatting merrily with... someone. When he reached her, he frowned when he realized it was the pretty boy he had caught her staring at earlier.

"Botan."

Botan looked up in surprise, then smiled when seeing it was none other than her partner.

"Yeah, Mesh? What's up?" she said cheerfully.

"I'm leaving the ball early. I've been invited to a more... _private_ party," he told her. Her smile fell.

"What? What do you mean? You're leaving me **here**?!" she asked a little hysterically. Yusuke shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry, but... yeah, that's what it looks like," he replied, looking at his wrist for the time.

Botan's jaw clenched instinctively as her blood beginning to boil beneath her skin. Her face flushed instantly, her eyes screaming betrayal.

"Yusuke, you can't just leave me here, you prick!" she told him angrily. Yusuke opened his mouth to defend himself, but was interrupted by Lira when she approached him from behind.

"So you already to go?" she asked him as she slipped her mink coat on and fluffed out her hair. He nodded and held his arm out to her. Botan rose slowly from her seat on the stair.

"You horny little bastard! Out of all the lowly things... You bring me to this ball, which I didn't want to attend in the first place, mind you, then dump me, twice, to be with some easy-as-pie, floozy ass, trampy **skank**!" she yelled earning a glare from Lira.

"Hey!" screeched Lira defensively. Ignoring her, Botan took a step down the stairs towards Yusuke.

"You simple minded son of a bitch..." she growled angrily. Yusuke rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

"Botan, I thought I told you that this **wasn't** a date?" he said to her. Botan bit her lip hard and clenched her fists at her sides in unleaded anger.

"You idiot! I never said this **was** a date! Just how the hell am I gonna' get home?!" she hollered, causing several heads to turn her way. Yusuke looked thoughtful for a moment before he dug into his inside pocket. Then he reached over to grab her hand and stuff a twenty dollar bill in her palm.

"Take a cab," he told her. Botan looked down at her hand with her jaw slack in disbelief. Then she looked back up at him with renewed anger in her eyes. She clenched her fist again, crumpling the money in her palm. She opened her mouth to shout more obscenities at him when she felt a hand lay gently on her shoulder. She turned her head to look up at Shuichi, who was looking at Yusuke.

"Your money won't be needed. I'll take her home," he said casually. Then his eyes shifted down to Botan.

"That is, if you'd prefer it..." he told her. Botan could only nod slowly, shocked to silence by his offer. Shuichi nodded quickly and pulled a phone from his pants pocket.

"Jude? Yes, it's me. Pull the limo around front, would you? Bye," he said before he closed the phone and put it back in his pocket. Yusuke only shrugged, trying to put on a front of indifference. Shuichi looked back down at Botan.

"Would you like me to get your jacket for you? Our ride should be pulling up shortly," he asked her politely. Botan only nodded again, still in a haze of surprise. Shuichi nodded and walked away to retrieve her jacket. She watched him as he walked away smoothly then turned back to Yusuke. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, shifting his weight to one foot. Lira, on the other hand, beamed up at Botan.

"He's a keeper," she giggled with a wink.

"Okay. You can stop the stunts now. I'll drop you off at home," he said, ignoring the whimper of disappointment that came from beside him. Botan cocked her head in mock confusion, her cerulean coils bouncing as she did so.

"Stunt...?" she said in a clueless manner.

"Don't be this way, Botan. You leave me all the time!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"But there's a difference!" Botan said pointing a finger in face, "I leave you to protect you, not for a piece of ass! **Major** difference!"

"Botan..." Yusuke groaned, wiping a hand over his face.

"No! I don't want to hear it from you, Yusuke. There's nothing you can say to me right now that will get me to see things your way, you damn traitor," she said harshly.

"Miss Hasaki... our ride is here," Shuichi called from the top of the stairs.

With one more glare directed to her partner, Botan shook her head then turned to go up the stairs. Shuichi assisted her in putting on her jacket and then put on his own black trench. Then Botan whirled around reeling her arm back as if to throw something at Yusuke. But a thoughtful expression crossed her face and she instead opened her palm, revealing the crinkled twenty. She straightened it out as well as she could then looked up at Yusuke. She waved it at him with a smirk then stuffed it into the pocket of her trench and whirled around to walk down the hall towards the door. Shuichi watched her as she left, then turned back to Yusuke with a smile on his face. He bowed politely and chuckled a little before he too exited.

* * *

Like the gentleman he presented himself as, Shuichi opened the door for Botan, who blushed due to the fact that she was unused to such hospitality. He then went to the other side of the limo and let himself in. Once his door was closed, he motioned towards the chauffeur to begin driving. Botan turned to look out the window, eyeing the bright street lights as they passed by. The car was silent as Shuichi watched Botan watching the street. "So," he said, his voice causing her to look at him, "You and that man... are you two... intimate?" 

Botan blinked, the color draining from her face embarrassedly.

Did he just ask...?

Gathering her wits, Botan shook her head quickly.

"What?! No! Absolutely not! What on earth possessed you to ask such a... personal question like that anyway?!" she nearly screeched. Shuichi shrugged, a smile sliding across his handsome face.

I don't know. I usually just say what pops head. My mother always taught me to speak my mind," he replied quietly.

"Well, one day, you're going to ask the wrong person the wrong thing and end up getting your pretty little ass kicked..." she told him. It was quiet for a moment as the two looked at each other, then Shuichi's smile grew devious.

"You think I'm pretty...?" he asked her teasingly, causing Botan to fidget uncomfortably in her seat. She shot him a dark glare before rolling her eyes to look out the window and muttering:

"Shut up."

* * *

"Would you like me to walk you to your door?" Shuichi asked as they pulled up in front of her house. Botan opened her car door then turned to look at him, a dubious expression on his face. 

"Uh, listen. Thank you for the dance and all, and I **really** appreciate this ride... but I don't intend to--"

"Strictly platonic. No ulterior motives. Promise," Shuichi clarified quickly. He knew what she thought. She thought he was going to try and get some... **compensation**. Botan looked at him warily for a moment then sighed. Maybe he really was a gentleman. Besides, if he tried to get fresh with her once they reached her porch, she could just kick his ass.

"Yeah, okay, whatever," she muttered as she exited the limo then closed the door behind her. She waited for Shuichi to come from around his side and joined her before she began to walk up her walkway to the porch. They reached the door and she turned around to face him. She coughed nervously as her cheeks began to warm. She never was good at this sort of thing...

"So um... do you want to call me sometime...?" she mumbled, looking down as she shuffled her feet nervously.

Due to surprise, Shuichi laughed aloud, and Botan could feel the disappointment beginning to sink in. In truth, he was not laughing at her. He was utterly caught off guard by her question, being as she didn't strike him as the type that would be comfortable with willingly handing her number to a man she had just met an hour prior. And the thing was, she didn't know what possessed her to do it, either. When it came down to dating, Botan was very picky about who she gave her number to. But it was something about this man...

"Yes, I would love to," he chuckled, delighted to find that she was interested in him. Botan smiled up at him, a girlish giggle threatening to escape. Of course, she had to put that in check, coughing to cover up and putting on her cool exterior.

"Um, yeah, that would be nice... er, here," she said, pulling out a pin from her pocket and motioning for his hand, which he gave her. She hurriedly wrote her number down then turned to open her door. She turned back around to smile and wave goodnight before going inside and closing the door.

Shuichi smiled to himself as he watched her close the door, not missing the rouge tint that had crept up on her cheeks. He turned to stride back to his elongated ride, all the while peering down at his hand. Once back inside the limo, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. It rang three times before the voice of his partner answered.

"Moushi?"

"Kuronue?" said Shuichi. He heard an exasperated sigh from the other line before his friend replied:

"You know it is."

Ignoring his tone, Shuichi chuckled to himself, still studying his hand.

"Did you take care of business?" he asked Kuronue.

"As always!" Kuronue said merrily, evidently proud of himself. "The middle man is officially eliminated. Now we have to--"

"I took her home," interrupted Shuichi with a sigh.

"Who? Miss Hasaki? I knew you could get her into your bed, you sly kitsune, you--"

"No, not like that, you perverse-minded fool. I gave her a ride to her home," Shuichi clarified.

"Ah... I see. But what of the man she attended with?" Kuronue asked, not at all bothered by the insults.

"Interesting thing, he left with some other woman, some woman who was nowhere near as beautiful as the woman he arrived with!" he laughed. "And it gets better. Not only did I make myself look good, but I made him look like an ass in the process. I just dropped her off."

"Well, did you get a kiss, a number, what?" said Kuronue impatiently.

"The latter. I'm not going to call her right away, though. I'll give her time to simmer. You know my ways..." said Shuichi with a sly grin that his partner could not see.

"What did you tell her your job was?" Kuronue said curiously.

"I didn't. She didn't ask," said Shuichi with a shrug.

"You know it will come up sooner or later, Kurama," Kuronue said. Shuichi smiled at the mention of his alter ego.

"Don't bet on it."

* * *

**__**

AN: ... **XD**

Miss me? Yes, I know, it's been a long two months. And believe you-me, it wasn't planned. I lost the disk I had saved the whole story on and when I found it, it was corrupted and I couldn't pull any of it up. So, I had to retype (much to my dismay, may I add) most of my story. I'm not done with it yet, but I'm getting there.

Oh yeah, buddy! Kurama's made his debut. Sorry it was so bland, though. I wanted him to come off as dark and mysterious, but it was just too hard. Thus, blandness!! And I know he was a bit... good in this chap, but let me assure you, he's as naughty as they get. Don't worry. We'll get there.

* * *

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BlackBelt: Aw, poor Hiei! He's always due for a good glomping... Tell Botan I said thank you! She is, after all, the star. Yes, K/B **does** rule. It rules hard.

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TsumeIshida: Okay, okay! Don't worry your pretty little head off. thank you for the review and thanx for the compliment! Here you go, sweetie!

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GCN-anime-dragon: No, I'm not going to dump the story after all. I always contemplate dumping my stuff, then, like the day before I actually do it, my mind begins to go into overdrive with ideas. And yes, it is spelled Kuronue. But you're a little late on the warning, my friend. I realized my mistake about an hour after posting the second chap.

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passionateangel: It's okay to be lazy... sometimes. At least you weren't too lazy to review! XD

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Pokey the Great: Sorry, friend! I know, suspense kills. But it had to be done! And of course this is Kurama/Botan! Who else has the sexiest alter ego in existence?

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Nasa ow/d Maxwell: ... .'' Ooooookay..."

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Darkfiend: Alright! This is for you, luv!

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Angelike Riddle: Well, this story is absolutely, positively in love with your reviews-- er, I mean, you! Yeah, I know it's cruel, but it has to be done. Suspense, suspense, suspense! Well, I say you've simmered long enough!

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Lady of Roses: Aw, don't say that! I'm sure you're not at all bad. In fact, I've read your work! When are you going to finish _'Return Me to the Past'_, hmmm? ::**evil glare**::

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Cwolf2: Hey, buddy!! Thank you, thank you. Your spelling is just fine, dear. I know who you were talking about so don't worry about it. I loved your update on _'The Business'_. Now... go and update more!!!

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psychopath143: Yes, Shuichi is lovely, isn't he? ::_**dreamy sigh**_:: Thank you for the review!

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Volpone: Hullo, Love!! I'm glad you like! You know I do what I do for you... Don't we **ALL** love the raven? Well, not nearly as much as you, but you know. The sentiment is there.

Yes, I'm a bad, bad wabbit... ::**evil grin**:: You know I just _had_ to do it!! As a master of the cliffhanger, **YOU** should know where I'm coming from. As for the plug, don't EVEN mention it. Everyone's reading your work, anyhow. I should be thanking you. Inserting Yusuke/Botan into a Youko/Botan fic just for me...

::sob::

It's utterly humbling. And at the risk of being hunted down and slaughtered by die-hard Kurama fans, too... Makes me want to break down and cry! In fact, I think I will! Excuse me...

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Okay, you guys! You know what to do! Hit that damn button!!! **REVIEW** OR NO UPDATE!!! **EVER**!!! 

PS: Keiko sucks big time bull dootie. Tee hee!!


	4. Louise

_**AN**_: It's not much, but this is for you, J.

* * *

The man had absolutely no idea what he was in for. Surely he had no clue. If he had, he wouldn't have been so reckless. He would have chosen his words a little more carefully. He would have been a little more respectful. 

He hadn't known who his victim was, nor had he known what he did for a living. Of course he hadn't known these things. How could he have? He was only a lowly crook; a petty, small-time, purse snatching pick-pocket.

...Which was bad for him.

* * *

Laughter. It swirled about his eerily gem-hued irises. Mocking, jeering as they unblinkingly gazed into a far less powerful, frightened pair. 

He was a captive. He had been for nearly a whole month. He was so frightened, more so than he had ever been in his entire life. He was hurting mentally and emotionally, but most importantly, physically. He had several stab wounds all over his body, but none too deep so as to kill him. There were old ones from when he had first arrived at his place of captivity, then there were fresher ones. He was punctured torturously slow, making sure his organs were missed, but also that he felt it as the short double-edged blade sliced through the fibers in his weakened muscles. They'd allow him little time to heal before he was tormented all over again.

They did some of the most horrible things to him... Beat him, stabbed him, whipped him, starved him... and then there were the more tedious things, the small, yet most effective ways of torture... The things they seemed to enjoy the most.

Jade orbs flickered with something lucidly akin to amusement, rousing the captive man from his woeful pondering. He whimpered helplessly, causing the man before him to smirk cynically.

"Look at you," he said as he rested his chin on his arms that were folded along the back of the chair that he was sitting reversed in.

"Disgusting. You look absolutely _pungent_ lying there in your own filth," he snarled. Indeed it was true. Not once was he let up to use a bathroom facility, so he had no choice but to soil himself. Humiliating, it was. He was lying in the middle of the room chained to one wall by his wrists, and to another by his ankles.

"Don't you agree? Aren't you disgusting?" asked the green-eyed man, tilting his head so that his cheek lay on his arm. If someone who had never met him before had seen him then, they would have mistaken him for the perfect picture of innocence. The chained man did not answer; he was too far gone in his fear. The last time he had spoken, he ended up where he was now. The other man frowned.

"I asked you a question..." he said sitting straight in the chair for a moment to look at the ID card he held in his hand, "... Louise Bodega. Are... you... disgusting?"

Louise hesitated for a moment before he nodded slowly. The man in the chair nodded as well, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Yes, I agree. You are disgusting. And I don't mean just... **_this_**," he said waving his hand at him.

"What you **do** is disgusting. Alleyway robbery, pick-pocketing... foul thieves like you give good thieves like us a soiled name. It is a way of life for us, our part in God's 'Big Plan'," he said, raising his leather clad hands to form quotation marks.

"But you... **roaches** steal to support your filthy drug habits, your alcoholic urges... filthy... just filthy," he explained.

It became deafeningly quiet as the man sneered down upon his prisoner in utter disgust. Louise stared up at him, his eyes pleading and sorrowful, windows to the broken soul hidden inside. The villain growled low in his throat standing abruptly and knocking over his chair to stride over to Louise. The chair fell over with a loud clatter and Louise snapped his eyes shut and yelped fearfully. The green-eyed man kneeled beside Louise and leaned over his frail form.

"Don't you dare fucking look at me like that! I don't feel one ounce of pity for you, you putrid shit!" he shouted in his face, spittle landing on his cheeks. Louise bit his dreadfully chapped bottom lip in an attempt to silence himself from crying out woefully, lest he be punished for it. The tears slipped down his cheeks slowly, streaking through the grime on his face like tiny rivers.

"Please..." he pleaded quietly.

"Please what?" the man snorted. Louise opened his eyes slowly, looking deep into the grassy irises of his captor hoping to gain some form of sympathy.

"P-please don't... kill me. I got a... I got a daughter at home, man," he begged. The man's eyebrows lifted in amusement as he barked out a short, haughty laugh. He raised a gloved hand and reached out to slap Louise harshly across the mouth.

Louise's face snapped to the side as blood sprayed from his mouth, spattering the floor with fresh red dots.

"Don't think you can gain sympathy from me by tooling your family, you fool. Maybe you should have thought about them before you decided to snatch from my pocket, or before you so insubordinately _spat_ on my coat when I caught you," he laughed. This, also, was true. When Louise got caught, he _had_ spat on the man's crisp white overcoat, a sign of gross disrespect. If he had known then what he knew now, he would have kept his hands in his own pockets.

The man rose from his position next to Louise and began to walk around the room, all the while dusting off the sleeves of his pinstriped suit jacket.

"No, Mr. Bodega, I'm not going to kill you..." he said, and Louise felt like crying with joy. Then he stopped in front of the open doorway and motioned to someone outside of it, who in turn, nodded then took off down the hallway.

"...But..." he began. From down the hall, a frighteningly loud whirring noise started up, and the most devious and sinister of smiles made it's way across his lips.

"...I will be taking certain precautionary steps..." he drawled. The noise began to grow louder, and the dense sounds of thundering footfalls accompanied them. Louise's eyes widened marginally and he began to struggle futilely against his bonds. But it was useless, just as it had been before. His eyes darted around the room frantically, searching for something, anything...

"...to ensure that those larcenous hands of yours..." he said slowly, drawing out Louise's tension for as long as possible. Louise clenched his hands closed, his nails digging into his palms so hard that tiny rivulets of blood began to trickle down his wrists.

".. don't get you into anymore..." he said slowly, Louise closed his eyes tightly and his breathing increased tenfold, his chest heaving up and down as steady streams of tears cascaded down his cheeks. The whirring was terribly close now, just a few more steps and he would find out what his fate would be.

"...trouble," the man chuckled. Louise's eyes sprang open and his heart nearly gave out. At the door stood the scariest man he had ever seen. He had to duck just to enter the room. He wore thick, black leather boots strapped with chains, and dusty faded black jeans, which were torn in various places.

He wore no shirt; his bare brawny chest glistening with sticky sweat and what could only be described as dirt. He wore a red bandana over his face, hiding the grimy grin he sported underneath. His bald head gleamed with sweat, decorated with an ugly, jagged scar that ran from the top of his head and down the side of his face to disappear under the rag. His arms were large and bulky, and he wore leather gloves. He was what nightmares were made of. But his size was not the thing that scared him, nor was his scarred arms, or the low growl that emitted from him every time his chest heaved...

It was the chainsaw in his hand.

"Well, I'd better go. These things tend to get a bit... messy," the man said with a wink at Louise. He turned and casually exited the room, patting the burly man on the arm on his way out. He closed the door behind him and began his stroll down the dim basement corridor.

When he was midway down the hallway, he sighed, raising his hand to flip a lock of long, red hair from his eyes. Then the screaming began. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Music to his ears. He smiled smugly to himself as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I think it's time for my coffee..."

* * *

The phone was ringing again. It had been for minutes at a time for the past two hours. The first time, hoping it was Shuichi, Botan jolted up from the couch and made a dash for the cordless phone stationed on its charger on the living room table. She told herself to breathe deeply; she didn't want to come off as desperate. Making sure her hair was proper, as if he could see her, she looked down at the caller ID... 

... and saw the name Urameshi, Yusuke. With an undignified growl, she hurled the communication device across the room and into a cushy loveseat. She flipped it the bird, as if he could her, then stomped back to the couch, remote raised to flick through the many channels of her cable television. The phone was once again ringing, and after checking several more times just to be on the safe side, Botan resigned herself to ignoring it.

... But it just **kept** ringing. Finally, she hopped to her feet, her hands outstretched in front of her like claws as she headed across the room, the irritating device in her sights. But a knock at her front door interrupted her plans of tearing the phone apart wire by wire.

She stalked over to the door and undid all the locks, the incessant ringing causing her anger to only climb. She snatched the door open with a snarl, the fierceness of the swing blowing her unbound hair from her shoulders.

"What?!" She shouted before her brain even registered who was standing in front of her, who happened to be Koenma. With one hand stuck in the pocket of his black suit jacket and the other holding a cellular phone to his ear, he stood there glaring at her, his lips pressed in a thin line.

"Koenma? What are you doing here?" she asked him, scratching the top of her head in utter confusion. Koenma took the phone away from his ear and waved it at her showingly before snapping it shut. Upon deactivating his cellular phone, the ringing of the phone in Botan's home ceased.

"I've been calling you for the past hour," he said flatly. Placing a hand on her hip, Botan moved aside to allow him into her home. She closed the door behind him and turned around to watch as he moved to take a seat on her couch.

"How did you know I'd be home?" Botan asked him. Koenma plopped down on the couch with a sigh then picked her remote up to change the channel.

"Honestly, you don't have much of a life, Hasaki," he answered her. Botan took a step towards him.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"Why weren't you answering my calls?" Koenma said, ignoring her exclamation completely.

"I thought you were Yusuke," Botan explained vaguely.

"Why didn't you just check your caller ID? I know you have it," he asked her.

"Because," she sighed as she came to join him on the couch, "He had been calling me for a whole hour already. Then he stopped for about ten minutes. Then the ringing started again and I just assumed it was him."

"Now _why_ aren't you accepting _his_ calls?" Koenma asked, briefly glancing at her from the corner of his eye before looking back at the television.

"Because he's an asshole!" Botan exclaimed with a nod while folding her legs beneath her meditative-style.

"Oh yeah," Koenma said waving his hand about lethargically, "he told me all about the ball. And from the sound of it, you ditched him again... this time, with a man." Botan turned around to face him fully, a horrified expression on her face.

"What?! That's a damn lie and he knows it! He was gonna' leave **me** there all by myself to go sleep with some random woman and this guy I just happened to be talking with offered to give me a ride home!" she said defensively, although Koenma was presented no argument.

"Yeah, I figured it was something like that. I know you'd never sleep with someone you don't even know," said Koenma distractedly as his eyes remained glued on the T.V screen.

"...Wait, what? Sleep... sleep with him? Is that what he told you I did?! Left him by himself so that I could go home and **fuck** some guy like some careless slut?!" Botan screeched angrily.

"No, but that's what he's assuming. Hey, what is that, chicken?" Koenma said as he squinted at the screen.

Anger, like she couldn't believe, hit Botan like oncoming traffic and she clenched her jaw hard to refrain from striking out at something. She wanted to destroy something, anything. It didn't matter what as long as something got shattered.

Then...

Sadness. Botan felt her facial muscles sag from the frown it was set in to a disappointed slouch as the fury that had simmered up within her died down to a more sorrowful grief. Her shoulders fell limp from the angry hunch she held them in and her eyes slowly trailed downward and onto the empty space between herself and Koenma.

"Is... is that what he thinks of me...?" she asked solemnly to no one in particular. Koenma looked up at her then, his eyebrows set in a concerned furrow as his cinnamon eyes watched her hurt face.

"No, Botan, he doesn't. He was just worried that you had out of anger for him. More importantly, you know you're not like that, so what does it matter?" he asked her firmly. Botan looked back up at him and shrugged one shoulder vaguely.

"I guess you're right. But as much as he and I fight, we are still friends and I'd be sorely hurt if he really did think of me that way," she said to him. Koenma rose from his seat and stretched then looked back at Botan.

"Forget about Urameshi. Come on, let's go get something to eat," he told her while stuffing his hands into his pants pockets.

"I'm not really hungry. Besides, I'm already late for my morning jog," she replied. Koenma frowned, pulling a hand from his pocket to look down at his watch.

"Hasaki, it's eleven-thirteen," he told her. Botan stood from her seat as well.

"Really?" she said, taking a look at his watch. Then she shrugged, a goofy grin on her face.

"Guess I'd better jump on it then, huh?" she laughed.

* * *

Adorned in black spandex shorts, a gray hoodie, and white sneakers, Botan jogged down a long pathway of Central Park, her high, curly ponytail swishing behind her. She had been jogging for roughly an hour and she was exhausted. But she trudged onward, the thought of rewarding herself later with cappuccino and a hot cinnabun serving as her only fuel. 

So she kept on jogging until the pathway met sidewalk, upon which she began to walk briskly. Then she rounded the corner to her favorite coffee shop, licking her chops as if they were already smothered in caffeine enhanced goodness. She entered the small coffee establishment and took a quick look around as she approached the register, a delirious smile on her lips.

"Hi, Maye!" she chirped at the young blonde working the counter. Maye looked up and smiled.

"Hi, Miss H. I see you're a little late for your stop. Everything alright?" she giggled. Botan licked her lips as she looked up at the menu on the wall above Maye's head.

"Yeah, everything's just dandy, Maye, just dandy. So, what's the special today?" she said as her eyes dropped back to the girl.

"Well, we've got brownie bars for fifty cents and our mint tea is only seventy-five a cup. Would you like to try one?" asked the girl, cocking her head cutely. Botan jutted her bottom lip in thought, then shook her head after a moment.

"Nah, not today. I'll just have the usual," she decided. Maye nodded.

"One white chocolate cappuccino and a hot cinnabun it is, then," she said as she moved over to the cash register.

"Make that two," interjected a voice from behind Botan. The clerk looked past Botan and immediately blushed at the sight of the handsome man who had spoken. She nodded and turned to set about making their orders, trying hard to hide her ruddiness. Botan turned around and frowned at seeing who was standing behind her.

"You..." she said narrowing her eyes. Shuichi nodded, sticking his hands into his pants pockets.

"Me..." he stated. Botan, who wasn't as angry about seeing him as she was making out to be, wanted to smile. She didn't know why, but there was something about him so dangerously serious, yet so handsomely comical. But she didn't want him to know that. So, she kept on her stern mask.

"Hey, what are you doing here? I come here every morning and I've never seen you in here before..." she asked suspiciously.

"That is true. Rarely have I come in here. But now that I know this is a daily stop for you, I'll have to become a regular as well," Shuichi said with a small smile.

Now, from anyone else, that would have sounded so cheap and corny. But it was something about this one man that made it sound so... elegant and endearing; Botan couldn't help it. She blushed. And when she felt her cheeks warming up, she became so horrified, for **she** hardly blushed, if ever.

"Yeah..." she muttered embarrassedly as she turned her face to hide it.

"So how are you feeling?" he asked her. She looked up at him, confused as to what he was talking about.

"Huh?" she said dumbly.

"You know, your injuries," he clarified. Botan shrugged, the blush slowly receding from her cheeks.

"Eh, they're fine," she answered with a shrug. "I _am_ a big girl, you know."

Shuichi laughed a little. "Yes, I don't doubt that you are," he said playfully. Botan smiled. This guy was interesting.

"I see your bruises are gone..." Shuichi said quietly, lifting a hand to brush his thumb along her cheekbone lightly.

-_Dammit! He's gonna' make me blush again..._- Despite her contradictory thoughts, Botan's lips parted in a soft smile.

"Orders are up," called Maye. Botan shook herself as Shuichi stepped past her to retrieve his order, thankful for the interruption.

"Thank you. How much?" said Shuichi, pulling out his wallet.

"Five dollars each," said Maye, keeping her blue eyes on the counter.

"Here, you go. Keep the change," he said with a wink as he handed her a twenty. She smiled timidly as she accepted the money. Botan rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to pay for me. I have my own money... I just left it at home," she said. Shuichi gave a short laugh.

"Join me at a table?" he said invitingly. She nodded and followed him towards the table near the window. He pulled out her chair before he made his way over to his own across from her.

"You know, that whole 'disheveled look' works for you," Shuichi said, lifting his coffee cup to his lips. Botan frowned.

"What?" she said in a clueless manner. He nodded towards her and she looked down at herself.

"It's nice. It looks like you've just had a really rough roll in the hay..." he chuckled. He gave her a wink and a sly smile then sipped from his cup. It took Botan a moment to comprehend what he was talking about, but when she did, her jaw fell like an anchor. She wanted to say something badly... but speech was failing her. Oh, her mind had plenty to say (You sick bastard! How dare you! What gives you the right...etc), but her lips didn't seem to want to move.

Shuichi set his cup down, angling his head teasingly as his eyes sparkled in mischief. When Botan's lips decided to work again, they did the exact opposite of what her mind was telling it to do-- they smiled.

"Pervert," she laughed. Shuichi shrugged.

"All men have a perverted side," he told her casually with a small grin. Botan shook her head again then turned her head to look out the window. She began watching a mother as she put her child inside of a car.

The small boy, no older than three, fought against his mother, pulling at her hair with one hand while the other pinched at her shirt. He bucked against her as she strapped him in the pried his hands off of her. She stuck her finger in his face and the boy immediately straightened up, his eyes growing as wide as saucers. She uttered a few threatening words to him before reaching over to grab the stuffed animal that lay beside him. She put it in his lap before moving out to load her bags into the car.

The tot fiddled with the toy bunny for a minute then flung it out of the car. Then he clapped his hands together, laughing mirthfully when it hit the ground. Botan smiled to herself, silently wishing the glass window wasn't so thick so that she might be able to hear the ring of his tiny voice.

A movement from the corner of her eye caught Botan's attention and she turned to look at Shuichi digging in his pants pocket. She watched as he dug into one of his pockets. Moments later, his hand emerged with a small black rubber band. He then reached up to tie his hair into a ponytail which ended right below his shoulder blades. It was then that she noticed the two small hoops that dangled from one of his earlobes. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You have your ears pierced," she noted aloud. Shuichi looked confusedly at her for a moment before an expression of remembrance washed over his face.

"Ah yes..." he said, reaching to finger the jewelry. The small loops jangled musically. "Only one ear. It's been pierced since I was seventeen. The earrings were my mothers."

"Were? She passed?" she asked.

"Passed? No, but she is very ill," he told her. It became quite for a while before Botan decided to ask the question that had been bugging her for a while.

"So how come you didn't call me? You told me you'd like to have my number and then when I gave it to you, you didn't call. I mean, if you had no real intentions on calling me then you didn't **have** to take it. I would have under--"

"No, it is nothing like that. I like you very much, Botan. I may not have known you for very long, but I like what I know so far," he said. He sighed, running his fingers through his bangs.

"I guess I am just old fashioned. I believe in not rushing things and not pushing a woman into something just because I want to. I was going to call you today... or tomorrow. Either way, I was going to call you. I just wanted to give you time," he explained to her as he watched the busy streets.

And a thought struck Botan as she bit her cinnabun. He looked so composed and serene as he watched the bustle of the streets. The bright sun hit him dead on and it seemed to sift through every thread of his red hair and illuminate his whole mane as if his head was alight with flames. It glinted off the chain dangling from the pocket of his pinstriped vest. His green eyes sparkled brilliantly, reminding her of staring out the window at the lawn sheeted with a fresh coat of gleaming dew. His lips were thin and smooth as he ran his tongue along them distractedly and she shook herself from the naughty thoughts that popped into her brain.

"Would you like to go out with me?" he asked her as he looked at her once again. She nearly choked on her cinnabun. She swallowed then pointed to herself.

"Me?" she said disbelievingly. Shuichi nodded.

"Yes, you," he replied. Botan looked a bit uncertain and she squirmed in her seat a little as she set her treat back down on the table.

"You mean like a date or something?" she said. Shuichi nodded again.

"Yes, on a date," he said, placing his elbows on the table to lean forward. His face was totally calm as he stared at her patiently.

"Um... Yes..." Botan said hesitantly. Shuichi half smiled, reaching out to twine his gloved index finger with her pinky.

"You don't have to... But I would like to see you when I have more time," he said softly. Botan nodded.

"I do. I mean, I would like to go on a date with you. But I don't go on many so don't be angry with me when it goes south," she warned him. He laugh.

"I'm sure we could find a way to stop that from happening," he said kindly as he withdrew his hand. He glanced down at his watch and shook his head.

"I have to go. I have a very important engagement planned," he said, rising from his seat.

"Okay," Botan said. He smiled at her as he leaned over the table to give her a small kiss on the cheek.

"I will call you tonight, alright? I promise," he said. Botan's heart nearly stopped when she felt the small bit of warm pressure on her skin.

"O-okay," she stuttered.

"Goodbye, Miss Hasaki. I hope the rest of your day finds you well," he said with a nod. Then he turned and smoothly stepped away from the table and towards the door. When he was out of the door, Maye scrambled from behind the counter and to Botan's table.

"Miss Hasaki, I didn't know you knew him!" she screeched. Botan shrugged.

"I don't, really..." she said quietly. When Maye saw she would get no more information from her, she went back to work with a disappointed pout. Botan smiled to herself.

"But I would like to..."

* * *

_**AN**_: Okay, I'm sorry for taking so damn long with this update. My computer crashed while my disk was in it or something and it all got erased. Most of this was written from the brain so I had to go back and write it **AGAIN**, which was a pain in the ass. 

So, I think we all know who it was at the beginning. Initially, that part was supposed to be longer, but you know, things happen.

Yeah, so, if you'd like to visit my place of dwelling, my xanga account address is on my page. Or... you could send me an e-mail! Either way, I still love you.

Please Review! It'd be very much appreciated.


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